John “Geech” Black owned the community’s best-known barbecue stand. He operated at several spots; this photo is of the one at 802 22nd St. S. As far back as 1930, Black was cooking barbecue, at first in front of a grocery store he owned on Fairfield and 22nd Street. He used a steel barrel cut in half. Black, who never divulged his recipe, sold Geech’s in 1973. The new owner kept the restaurant’s name and moved across 22nd Street when Interstate 275 came through in the late 1970s. Even now, folks along 22nd Street, like these domino players in February 2002, will stop what they are doing when they see this old picture and reminisce about the food, Geech and the times they had sitting at his stand.
[Times photo: Jamie Frances]
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